TheFeldster
Mr Kite
ALBUM REVIEW
The Beatles was the tenth album released by the popular British rock group, The Beatles. Released in 1968, The Beatles, more commonly known as The White Album, was the first album release (excluding Magical Mystery Tour, which was originally a Double EP) since the critical and commercial success, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967, and hence, expectations were high for the album upon release.
For the most part, the lads from Liverpool did not disappoint on this album. However, it does give the feel of 4 solo albums thrown in together, with the Beatles beginning to go their own ways and outgrow each other - indeed, drummer Ringo Starr walked out on the band during recording, leaving Paul McCartney to play drums on a couple of tracks.
Many of the Beatles' most acclaimed tracks appear on this album. Rocking tracks such as Back in the U.S.S.R., Glass Onion and Birthday are mixed in with undeniable masterpieces such as Happiness is a Warm Gun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps (featuring guitarist Eric Clapton) and Blackbird as well as some tracks hinting at the heavy metal movement yet to begin (Helter Skelter and Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey).
These tracks, among many others, really make the White Album a must-have. Unfortunately, there's a few tracks that let the album down as a whole, meaning it cannot reach the heights reached by Sgt. Pepper, Revolver and their later album Abbey Road. Revolution 9, John Lennon's attempt at avant-garde, and the bizzare Wild Honey Pie are the main culprits in this. These are among the most drugged out songs to come out of the mainstream 60's circuit, and they really take an acquired taste to understand, a taste which the majority of people do not have.
However, these tracks aren't enough to drag the White Album down from a spot in my list as a quintessential classic rock album. The White Album has been in popular culture for decades now, and it will no doubt remain a household name for decades more.
Rating:
The Beatles was the tenth album released by the popular British rock group, The Beatles. Released in 1968, The Beatles, more commonly known as The White Album, was the first album release (excluding Magical Mystery Tour, which was originally a Double EP) since the critical and commercial success, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967, and hence, expectations were high for the album upon release.
For the most part, the lads from Liverpool did not disappoint on this album. However, it does give the feel of 4 solo albums thrown in together, with the Beatles beginning to go their own ways and outgrow each other - indeed, drummer Ringo Starr walked out on the band during recording, leaving Paul McCartney to play drums on a couple of tracks.
Many of the Beatles' most acclaimed tracks appear on this album. Rocking tracks such as Back in the U.S.S.R., Glass Onion and Birthday are mixed in with undeniable masterpieces such as Happiness is a Warm Gun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps (featuring guitarist Eric Clapton) and Blackbird as well as some tracks hinting at the heavy metal movement yet to begin (Helter Skelter and Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey).
These tracks, among many others, really make the White Album a must-have. Unfortunately, there's a few tracks that let the album down as a whole, meaning it cannot reach the heights reached by Sgt. Pepper, Revolver and their later album Abbey Road. Revolution 9, John Lennon's attempt at avant-garde, and the bizzare Wild Honey Pie are the main culprits in this. These are among the most drugged out songs to come out of the mainstream 60's circuit, and they really take an acquired taste to understand, a taste which the majority of people do not have.
However, these tracks aren't enough to drag the White Album down from a spot in my list as a quintessential classic rock album. The White Album has been in popular culture for decades now, and it will no doubt remain a household name for decades more.
Rating: